Translator and Editor: Lea and Ishy

Chapter 28

Richard—who was following Carinne like a shadow—bowed his head silently.

It wasn’t like she wanted a response anyway, so she stepped into and entered the bedroom.

“I couldn’t sleep, so I wanted to take a walk. Like you, sister.”

Over the past few days, Olivia had changed dramatically. Her aura, the way she talked, and even her smallest habits.

It wasn’t even a few months ago when she couldn’t conceal her anxiety and vigilance, she was even more different from the recent days when she gave up after despair and endurance.

Though her suspicion and distrust toward her surroundings remained, her eyes became more alive and watchful.

Just as if someone gave life to a doll, which only used to be an empty shell.

‘I can’t believe I didn’t do anything even though I noticed her change.’

I didn’t expect Olivia to act so fast. It was a definite mistake.

Carinne clenched her fists, blue veins standing out on the back of her dry hand.

“Lady Carinne.” Richard sounded worried.

She quickly changed her expression. Pretending to be fine was her best skill.

“Don’t worry. I just need to change my plan.”

It was an unexpected variable, but it was within her reach. Her plan itself had not yet been greatly affected.

The situation was only somewhat complicated, and Olivia Brienne was still under her control.

‘You may be mistaken that you ran away.’

“If she lets her guard down, we’ll be all the more grateful.”

Carinne, who put her mind back in place, slowly moved her feet.

She was by the window when her slow steps suddenly paused. Her fine eyebrows slightly frowned as her eyes noticed something.

What caught her attention was a flower pot.

To be exact, the red flowers that she painted into the pot herself.

“..It’s torn apart.”

The flower petals that exuded deep sleep energy had disappeared. Only the stem and leaves were left in shreds and scattered over the soil of the pot.

Richard’s eyes, which confirmed the condition of the pot when he walked behind her, were also slightly agitated.

“Do you think Olivia Brienne noticed its sleeping effects?”

“She did.”

Her answer had no hesitation.

Carinne brushed her elongated white finger over the flower bed.

“I really liked this flower.”

“Had she noticed other things?”

“I don’t know,” Carinne said calmly. However, there was a chill in her dry voice.

“But this has made it clear.”

She slowly turned around.

Her gaze turned to the man who was a head taller than her. The man who would give everything for her, perhaps even willing to give his life.

“That’s why the girl ran away from here.”

A red flame rose from Carinne’s hand and quickly wrapped the pot. The fierce flame burned the pot as if it were feeding on it, and soon there was no gravel left.

Her voice continued slowly.

“Pull out all the flowers you planted.”

“..Do you mean everything?”

“I collected the seeds, so it’s okay. If necessary, we can grow them again.”

Although her tone was gentle, it was a firm order.

After finishing her speech, Carinne left the bedroom as if she had nothing more to see of it. Richard followed her silently again.

The mansion was still quiet and the hallway was empty. That was because everyone was asleep and wouldn’t be able to wake up for hours.

In a mansion with no one to disturb, Carinne opened the door to another room. The wind from the broken window of the room touched her cheeks. It was Olivia’s previous bedroom.

Instead of going inside, Carinne looked down at the floor.

Someone’s footprints were stamped on the floor of the room sprinkled with white power. In the bright daylight, it looked more prominent.

It was not difficult to guess whose it was just from the size and shape of the sole of the shoe.

“Looks like you’ve been working hard to find something here.”

The room was full of footprints. Carinne turned her eyes and looked out over the window this time.

The wide grassy field was glistening green under the sunlight.

However, it was not the quiet and peaceful landscape that she stared at.

Carinne, who followed the traces of white footprints to the balcony, grabbed the railing.

“Looking down from here, you can see the path very well. It must’ve caught your eye because it was open.”

The place where her soft gaze reached was the trail leading to the vacant lot.

“Your mind must’ve been clear since you removed the flowers I potted.”

Richard shortly gasped as he realized what her words meant.

“Richard. I just thought of a short story. Would you like to hear it?”

“..Yes, My Lady.”

He could guess what she would say, but he answered meekly.

“The day the effect of the flowers disappeared, my sister couldn’t sleep. All throughout the night.”

Carinne’s low voice scattered in the air.

“She was looking for something and entered her previous room when she accidentally found something shining through the darkness. When she looked closely, it was the maid under my control with a lamp.”

She stopped for a while and closed her eyes slowly.

“But the direction she walked towards was a little suspicious. Because the maid said that the path led to a vacant lot that had nothing.”

Carinne smiled brightly.

“So, what did Olivia do?”

The smooth story ended with a question.

“Do you think she took an excessive leap forward?”

“..No. In fact, it’s a very slim chance. It’s only possible if there were several more coincidences.”

The gentle voice was soft like she was soothing a child.

“Maybe she didn’t check outside because she was so focused on the mansion. Even if the light caught her attention, and even if she found a maid, that didn’t mean that she would have followed her.”

But Richard was already forming an answer in his head.

It was because of what happened this morning.

***

Richard found unfamiliar footprints in the vacant lot shortly after the two had just finished their secret conversation.

They were neither Carinne’s nor his.

Someone knows their secret!

As soon as they noticed it, they first went to check Carinne’s bedroom.

Even if they searched the bedroom, they didn’t find any evidence, but that didn’t mean the person didn’t steal anything.

“Lady Carinne, nothing seems to be missing.”

“No. Something is missing.”

Carinne’s beautiful face was distorted as she looked down at the fishbowl full of clean water. She had rarely been embarrassed.

“They took the oracle stone.”

“What? How did they find out–”

“I should go back to my body. Get me prepared, Richard.”

Carinne, who regained her original body, ran into someone on her way back to the mansion.

Olivia Brienne was trying to escape in the middle of the night.

Of course, it didn’t work.

To restrain her, Carinne forced her unfaithful body to perform magic.

‘But why now?’

Lennox Kravant, the man appeared.

That’s how she lost the sacrificial victim. Along with the oracle stone.

It’s only a matter of time before she finds out that the stone is the oracle stone.

It was time for Richard to reminisce about today’s incident and reflect on his mistake of not noticing the intruder in the vacant lot.

“Richard.”

Carinne slowly took off her hand from the railing and stood straight on her feet.

The rumpled posture reminded him of the dignity of the royal princess.

“Get rid of the greenhouse. Even small traces of evidence will pose a great threat to us.”

Until now, the greenhouse of the vacant lot had played a role as a secret place. They used it to grow improved breeds of flowers or switch bodies with others.

Sometimes, to test the new food they made.

“If you give me a few days, I can move to a safer place.”

“No. We don’t have time.”

Carinne was determined, and eventually, Richard said what he could for her.

“I’ll do my best.”

“Will you, for me?”

“Yes.”

“I must be giving you a hard time again.”

“Not at all.”

“Be careful so you don’t hurt yourself.”

“Of course.”

Richard, who answered like a loyal dog, stared at his master’s side profile that was staring into space.

There was still a gentle smile over her dull face as if to veil something.

At first, it was a mask to hide her feelings, but the fake smile almost became part of her body as she grew up.

‘..’

Richard thought about when Carinne used to laugh sincerely. It was so distant that he couldn’t remember it well.

At that time, words flowed out of her red-painted lips.

“Why do things keep going wrong?”

Though her voice was low as the sound of a grass bug, it was loud enough for Richard.

He was an outstanding warrior and hunter. Furthermore, not to mention how all the senses of his body were opened to only one person.

“Is it because of me..?”

Richard could feel it.

Carinne’s agitation.

She was calm on the outside, but on the inside, she wasn’t.

He watched painfully as her beautiful purple eyes were eroded by darkness.

“..It bothers me.”

She wasn’t happy with this situation. She must be feeling frustrated and angry at the strangely twisted and complicated things.

If so, it was enough of a reason to cut off the twisted threads altogether.

The loyal man, who had remained silent, opened his mouth that had been firmly closed.

“Lady Carinne.”

“Yes.”

“Shall I use my hands?”

Those blue-grey eyes were flashing with determination.